My roommate and I recently moved and I am so excited.  We’ve upgraded from a 2nd floor apartment to a house with a fenced in backyard, much larger kitchen, 2-car garage, amongst other things.  The rent’s a little higher but well worth it, more space for us and more space for our two dogs.  Now we can wake up and just kick the dogs outside to do their business rather than have to get dressed, leash them, etc.  With every good thing, comes a bad.  We now are responsible for maintaining a yard; mowing the lawn, trimming the trees and hedges, etc.  With all that we’re getting, that’s not so bad.  The lawnmower’s even included.  So what’s my issue?  Our neighbor’s cats.

The lady next door to us has at least 6 outdoor cats.  The one time I’ve spoken with her, I counted a half a dozen cats sitting in her yard, climbing on our fence, sitting on her front porch, sitting on top of my car and rubbing up against my leg.  Jokes about crazy cat ladies aside, I agree anyone is should be able to have as many pets and they like and can take care of.  As long as you keep a clean home, feed and care for them, cats are generally independent animals, often considered the easiest of the huggable domestic animals.  And despite the fact that I’m allergic to them, I don’t dislike cats.  My problems are usually with their owners.

As a sensitive dog owner, I am generally annoyed by the concept of outdoor cats.  Anytime my dogs growl at someone or something, poop in public and I have to search for a bag, lick themselves when other people are around our do just about anything else that’s not considered “best behavior”, I get embarrassed.  Yes, I know they are just dogs and will do things dog-like.  And I love them for it.  However, as a pet owner, I realize they are my responsibility.  If they scare a child at the park, I’m responsible.  When Rodman bit someone last winter, I was responsible.  When they poop in public, I’m responsible for cleaning it up. And on and on.  They are our furry children.  However, it seems outdoor cat owners do not feel this same level of public responsibility.

Outdoor cats are notorious for annoying non-cat owners/lovers.  Between the cats in this neighborhood, those at our old apartment complex, and those my neighbors had growing up, outdoor cats have sprayed my house (worse, my bedroom window), walked all over our cars, entered our yard as they like, fought under my bedroom window, gotten entirely too comfortable in my car when the door was open unloading groceries, pranced into and around our home, aggravated our dogs and treated our flower beds as personal litter boxes.  While these are all things “cats just do”, they would only happen if/when their owners decide to let their domesticated animals roam free.

If I were to let my dog roam free, he would quickly be picked up by the city, sent to the pound until I claim him, adopted out or put down.  I can’t simply put bowls for food and water on my front porch and consider my job as a pet owner done.  If my dog takes a dump in/on someone’s yard, I’m responsible for cleaning it up.   (I realize all dog owners do not do this but it is the common and legal expectation.)  Where are the cat owners when their 15 lbs cats poop in our flower bed right next to the front door?  My dog’s 15 lbs.  Their poop’s the same size.  Can I just leave it?  What about if their cat’s sick?  If/when my dogs sniff (or eat, yes, I have a cat poop eating dog) the cat feces, will anyone else be paying for the vet bills if the cat has worms?  The only way to prevent this would be still leashing our dogs and observing them as they are out and about in our own yard.  What’s the point then?

And what about me?  I’m allergic to cat dander.  Typically, I just sneeze and my eyes burn.  In severe cases, however, my throat constricts and I feel like I’m having as asthma attack.  I understand my allergies are not my neighbor’s fault.  But when she pointed out one of her cats (I can’t remember its name) and told me that’s the one that’ll climb into your car and hang out in your home, I mentioned to her that I’m allergic.  She seemed completely unphased.  I continued, letting her know that if a cat enters my car or home, I might have complications.  She just stared at me blankly.  I wondered if I’d mentioned a bb gun to prevent that from happening if she’d have reacted then…

With this woman, I realize there’s not going to be anything that we’re going to be able to do.  She’s obviously lived this way for quite some time and sees no issue with her roaming, flea-carrying, poop and dander depositing fur balls.  My roommate’s purchased a variety of anti-cat products for the yard and I’ve decided to let the dogs out into the yard anytime I see one of those cats looking for their next litter box spot.  Outside of that, I just have to live with it.  I wish no ill will for the cats and I hope Café, our 80 lb mutt, never gets a hold of one of her cats.  But I can’t help but wonder if I could send her my doctor’s bills after an asthma attack, car detailing bills after one’s nestled itself in my passenger seat or train Rodman to shit in her yard without picking it up…

Annoyed and plotting,

Jo’van

April 11, 2010
Categories: No Patience For You (SIGH), Whole Truth, The . Tags: attack dogs, cat allergies, cat dander, cat poop, cats, dogs, litter box, neighbors, outdoor cats, pet owners, responsibility, safety . Author: tjovand . Comments: Leave a comment